<p>Statistics can be deceiving. What is not reflected in the average SAT scores or whatever other numbers you are looking at is the fact that a significant portion of early admissions goes to athletic recruits, UMRs. Taken out those and the legacy admissions, the number of students admitted with no hooks during the EA round is just a few hundreds and the statement from Yale Adcom director is acurate and honest. Without a hook, your chance of admission would be the same for EA or RD, at least that is the goal every adcom sets up for themselves.</p>